Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-03-17
THE BEEcHER oBsEQuIEs.

! .l,v susnepds Business in Respect t.
/ Her Honored Dead Plymouth Church
Transformed Into Consersa.os, ,sr,.
No Sign of Mourning Except the Kemain'
! Of the Dead and the Tears OF the ConSfe-
| gation-Other Services.
BRooKLYS, March IA more propitlous
| day could not have been than that WHICH
/ dawned upon Brooklyn to-day. The morn
| ing broke with clear sky and prlgn'
! sun. 1t was to be a general MONDAY ioi
| BROOKLYN; she was to formally dispose OF
| her greatest citizen, Rev. Henry WARD
| Reecber The remains of the great
! preacher of Plymouth Church lay in state
/ throughout the night before the pulpit he
had occupied so long, and from which his
eloouence and wisdom had poured TO the
multitudes that have assembled In Inc
famous church The silent tread or the
guard of honor and the tramping OF the
patrol outside were the only sounds that
i had disturbed the death-like silence ABOUT
! the church.
Soon after daybreak, however, the
ueople of Brooklyn were busy with the
| decoration of their houses and places OF
business Flags We're placed athalf-mast
| on all the public buildings, and nearly all
! business houses throughout the city AT
| the request of Mayor Whitney, the princ1-
pal business places were closed from half
past ten O'Clock until the close Of the sew
ices at Plymouth Church.
Long before the hour appointed for the
opening of the doors of the church a
large crowd had gathered about the Or.
ange street entrance. None were admit
ted but those having tickets. At precise
ly half-past nine o'clock the doors were
thrown open and two policemen sta
toned at either side In little more than
| half an hour all the seats were taken ex-
cept those reserved for the clergy and in-
vited guests.
The decorations about the pulpit had
been largely added to, until it was literal
ly covered with flowers, and presented
the appearance of a gigantic f1ower-bsd.
Not an inch Of Grape could be seen in any
part of the church.
The first eight pews to the right OF the
pulpit were occupied by forty clergy Zen
of this city and New York, all fervent ad-
! mirers of the dead pastor.
Shortly after ten o'clock Rev DR.. Nc
Glynn, of New York, was ushered to a
seat directly behind the Protes tant clergy
men, and almost at the same time Presi-
| dent O'Leary of the Brooklyn Board of
Aldermen, came came in, escorting
Lieutenant-Governor Jones, Speaker
Hustled and members of the legislative
committee. Henry George and his son fol-
lowed, and were given seats next to Lieu
tenant Governor Jones. United States
Senator William NJ. Evarts was then seat
ed Immediately behind Mr. George. When
all the seats which had been res erved for
invited guests had been filled, Colonel
Falkner of the Thirteenth regiment and
staff were seated in t he middle aisle. At
the left of the pulpit three pews were re-
served for the family. They were occu-
pied by the two brothers of the deceased,
Rev. Edward and Charles, and number
of more distant relatives. Mrs. Beecher
was not present.
Just as services were about to begin, a
shaft Of sunlight falling on pillow of
flowers on the pulpit bearing the words,
''The friend and champion of the slave"
made a beautiful picture.
Promptly at half-past ten o'clock DR..
Hall, vested with surplics and stole,
slowly assembled to the platform, accom-
panied by DR.. Halliday, and the two took
their places in the pulpit. DR.. Hall at
once began with the opening sentences of
the Episcopal burial service. With fall
tering voice he repeated the ever beauti-
full words,
81 AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE"
When these were finished the choir, near
ly hidden behind bank of Gala lilies sang
the burial chant, Lord Let Me Know
Mine End Then DR.. Hall who had
turned from the people to hide his tears
during the singing of the chant read the
lesson taken from the fifteenth chapter of
FIRST Corinthians, followed by the anthem,
BLESSED Are the Departed Who Die in
the Lord" This was rendered in a beau
tiful manner, the quartette being supple
mented by large chorus.
Throughout the church people were VS.
IDLY affected, and there were few dry eyes
in the vast audience.
When the anthem was concluded DR..
Hall stepped forward to the reading d esk
and read his address from manuscript.
He several times interrupted himself by
his emotion, and the tears of the congre-
cation fell fast as the preacher spoke low
ingly and trustingly of their departed
pastor.
When DR.. Halls address was finished
perfect burst Of pent-up emotion succeed
ed, and nearly every one in the church
.wept
DIR. Halliday followed with prayer, and
the choir sang Jesus, Lover of NV Soul"
after which the anthem, 81 Heard a
Voice." which was composed for this oc-
casion, was given. Following this was
the hymn, Love Divine"
After the benediction the reces sional
hymn, "Hark Hank! NY Soul" was sung,
and the vast congregation departed from
the church, leaving the remains Of their
pastor under guard of Plymouth Com
pany, who will constitute the watch until
the body is taken to Greenwood to-mor-
row morning.
When the congregation had dispersed,
the doors were thrown open to the public
to view the remains.
At the First Baptist Church Rev. T. De
Witt Talmage made the principal address.
He said:
1t is a beautiful thing in human nature, the
disposition to speak well of the dead 1t Isl
mean thing in human nature that we are apt to
postpone until after their decease the praises
that were due to the living Post mortem eulo-
gies are often an attempt to make atonement
for ante mortem injustice. There will be two
ears that to-day will not hear one word of an
probation and there will be two eyes that will
not reach one word of complimentary journal
tsm-the ears. the eyes of the mighty man for
whose obsequies we are convoked
We commit his immortal spirit to the bosom
OF living God, but how much we shall miss
our friend! Great charities will present them
selves upon our platforms, but his voice will not
be heard to plead for them The times of Ma
tonal crisis will come, but he will not be here
to champion the right. The great conflict be-
tween the forces of God and the forces of sin
seems gathering for an Armageddon, but his
battle axe will not CLEAN in the fight"
Concluding, DR.. Talmage paid glowing
tribute to the dead pastor.
Short Work